Miley Cyrus landed a songwriting credit on the "Avatar: Fire and Ash" film after directly offering her services to director James Cameron during a chance industry encounter.
Speaking with People, Cyrus, 33, said the collaboration began when she met Cameron at the 2024 D23 Expo, where both were being honored as Disney Legends.
During their conversation, Cyrus raised the possibility of contributing music to the "Avatar" franchise, which at the time was in production on its third installment out of a planned five-film series.
"I kind of throw it out there as I always do," Cyrus said. "I already knew the answer to, 'So what have you been up to?' I know he's been up to 'Avatar' for a very long time."
She recalled telling Cameron, "'Just let me know if you ever need any music,'" a remark that aligned with the film's development timeline.
"It just kind of organically happened," she said. "James actually calls us 'legends in law.'"
Earlier this month, Variety reported that Cameron later approached "Avatar" composer Simon Franglen with the idea of collaborating with Cyrus.
Cameron proposed the title "Dream as One," a phrase tied to the film's conclusion, while leaving the creative direction of the song to Cyrus and her songwriting partners, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt.
Ronson and Wyatt are Academy Award winners for their work on "A Star Is Born" and "Barbie."
Cyrus told Variety that joining the project late in the process was an advantage.
"Coming in at the end was actually really helpful, because, when you've worked on something for like 20 years, you get so close to it that it's hard to see it from that outside perspective," she said. "I'm just writing it like someone who loves 'Avatar.'"
The approach mirrors how Cyrus became involved with "The Last Showgirl," a film directed by Gia Coppola and starring Pamela Anderson.
Cyrus wrote "Beautiful That Way," which later received a Golden Globe nomination, after pitching herself to the film's creative team.
"I did the same thing to ['Last Showgirl' star] Jamie Lee Curtis," Cyrus told People. "That's how I ended up doing 'Last Showgirl' and now being a part of 'Avatar.'"
Cyrus said she often pitches herself for film projects by offering to write original music, even during casual conversations at industry events.
"No, literally," she said, referring to her efforts. "That's why I went to the Oscars this year. Everybody that came up and introduced themselves, I said, 'Well, if you need any music, I'm around.'"
She said she even made a similar offer to the creators of Netflix's Emmy-winning series "Baby Reindeer."
"I don't know what I would write for 'Baby Reindeer' season two, but I threw that out there."
Cyrus said songwriting lets her tap into the emotional connection audiences often form with films.
"I really feel myself attached to songs," she said. "There's certain songs that even if they were written for the film or just a song used in the film, like 'I Will Always Love You,' you immediately think of the movie itself and they become embedded."
In addition to her music work, Cyrus has continued acting. She appeared in a cameo role in 2024's "Drive-Away Dolls" and portrayed herself in "Dolly Parton's Mountain Magic Christmas" in 2022.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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